“I finally said to him one evening:
Mike Abendroth
“I finally said to him one evening:
‘I do not know, my dear sir, what more can be said to you. I have told you all that I know. Your state as a sinner lost, exposed to the righteous penalty of God’s law, and having a heart alienated from God; and the free offer of redemption by Christ; and your instant duty to repent of sin, and give up the world, and give God your heart; and the source of your help, through the power of the Holy Spirit assured to you, if you will “receive” Christ; all these things have become as familiar to you as household words. What more can I say? I know not what more there is to be said. I cannot read your heart. God can, and you can by his aid. Some things you have said almost made me think you a Christian, and others again have destroyed that hope. I now put it to your own heart – if you are not a Christian, what hinders you?’
He thought a moment. Said he: ‘I can’t feel!’
‘Why didn’t you tell me this before?’
‘I never thought of it before, sir.’
‘How do you know this hinders you?’
‘I can think of nothing else. But I am sure I shall never be converted to God, if I have no more feeling than I have now. But that is my own fault. I know you cannot help me.’
‘No, sir, I cannot; nor can you help yourself. Your heart will not feel at your bidding.’
‘What then can I do?’ said he, with much anxiety.
‘Come to Christ now. Trust him. Give up your darling world. “Repent, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”‘
He seemed perplexed, annoyed, vexed; and with an accent of impatience, such as I had never witnessed in him before, he replied, ‘That is impossible. I want the feeling to bring me to that, and I can’t feel!’
‘Hear me, sir’, said I; ‘and heed well what I say. I have several points:
The Bible never tells you that you must feel, but that you must repent and believe.
Your complaint that you “can’t feel” is just an excuse by which your wicked heart would justify you for not coming to Christ now.
This complaint that you “can’t feel” is the complaint of a self-righteous spirit.’
’1. The Bible never tells you that you must feel, but that you must repent and believe.
’2. Your complaint that you “can’t feel” is just an excuse by which your wicked heart would justify you for not coming to Christ now.
’3. This complaint that you “can’t feel” is the complaint of a self-righteous spirit.’
‘How is it?’ said he.
‘Because you look to the desired feeling to commend you to God, or to make you fit to come, or to enable you to come.’
‘Yes, to enable me’, said he.
‘Well, that is self-righteousness, in the shape of self-justification for not coming; or in the shape of self-reliance if you attempt to come. That is all legalism, and not the acceptance of a gracious Christianity. You cannot be saved by the law.
’4. Your complaint is the language of the most profound ignorance. To feel would do you no good. Devils feel – lost spirits feel.
’5. Your complaint that you “can’t feel” tends to lead you to a false religion – a religion of mere self-righteous feeling. Religion is duty.’
‘But, sir’, said I, ‘there is duty in religion; and which shall come first? You ought to feel; you ought to love God, and grieve that you are such a senseless sinner.’
‘I know I am a sinner, but I can’t feel any confidence to turn to God, to draw me to him.’
Thanks.